Few producers sum up the quiet innovation and imagination encapsulated in the Montlouis sur Loire AOC as well as the young Ludovic Chanson, who is currently crafting gorgeous, interesting, and delicious renderings of his white wines. Having always had a passion for wine, Chanson left his job in pharmaceutical research in 2007 and went to work for the renowned Vouvray producer Vincent Carême, where he staged for one year. In 2008 he took over a 6.5 ha property in Montlouis, a small AOC that sits on the left bank of the Loire River opposite Vouvray, just east of the city of Tours. It had been organically farmed since 2006 and has since been certified. The property is primarily planted to Chenin Blanc, however there are also small plots of both Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay.

Chanson’s first vintage of solo production was 2009; he bottled a ripe Sauvignon Blanc as well as a bright, laser-like Chenin Blanc. His is a non-interventionist philosophy to winemaking that lead him to hand harvest with successive passes to select only grapes at optimal ripeness. He ferments with indigenous yeasts, utilizes no chaptalization, no enzymes, or benonite, and blocks malolactic fermentation.

Les Cabotines is aged for one year in recent barrels, is Ludovic's favorite cuvée, because it is the archetype of fine and crystalline Montlouis, with again these pretty bitters on the finish which give the wine a beautiful personality. A little bottle will allow the aromatic to open up, but it is already a beautiful rock water, with a good length as it is. The 2017’s see a return to form for Ludo, not that he lost it in ’16, its just e didn’t have any wine! Cabotines is from a small parcel on the edge of the Husseau plateau and is bone dry.

Pecheurs is from an old vine parcel on the crest of the hill, in deep alluvial soil, and is sec tender, i.e. with 16g/l of RS.